Mini Reviews: UNDER THE NEVER SKY, THE YOUNG ELITES, and THE SHIFTER

Note: Since I've finally decided to claim my blog on Bloglovin', here's the link: Follow my blog with Bloglovin. (You're under no obligation to follow, of course.)

Warning: As always, I try to stay relatively spoiler free. But it doesn’t hurt to proceed with caution.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi

Rating: Two stars—Meh

 

On the whole, I don’t think UNDER THE NEVER SKY lives up to its potential. While there were things I genuinely liked about it, I spent most of the book feeling disinterested and disappointed. I mean, the first bit of action with Aria is great and I was all excited for a sci-fi, dystopian with lots of mental landscapes and hordes of people who can’t bear reality. Then the narrative switched to Peregrine’s view point, and I just got kind of…bored. Sure, he’s a cool guy who can smell people’s emotions and see well in the dark. Plus he’s hot (according to Aria). What’s not to like about him? But he lives in a village and hunts for a living and deals with typical medievalish problems. That’s not to say I don’t like stories about that sort of thing, but I was expecting UNDER THE NEVER SKY to be techy and cool and futuristic. I was not prepared for chickens and blood lords and savages with weird super senses. Probably this is my fault, because if I had read enough about the book before I started, I would have known what I was getting into. My bad.

However, I was thrown off for other reasons as well. The romance is creepy and weird, and the transformation between “I hate you” to “I love you” hinges on a rather superficial event. Not to mention, it’s a tad upsetting to know Perry can smell all of Aria’s emotions (and he won’t stop sniffing her #awkward). Give poor Aria a little privacy, please and thank you.

What disappointed me the most, though, was the dystopian element itself. For one thing, Perry’s culture, which takes up most of the book, doesn’t feel hugely dystopian. I mean, sure, Perry and his brother (who happens to be in charge) don’t get along, and the Aether might possibly torch the place, and the people might starve. But none of those things are characteristically dystopian, in the strictest sense—they just happen to be obstacles in the way of happily ever after.

 

For another thing, I wanted to spend more time in the Pods. The people of Reverie (one of the Pods), always wear Smarteyes, devices that allow them to live in hundreds of virtual realms while they go about their daily lives. Aria has been told that people began using Smarteyes as means of entertainment because the Pods are super boring. But that feels like an overly simplistic answer. I want to know why people chose unproductive technology over other forms of entertainment, such as invention and industry and physical play. I want to know the deep hurts in society—the roots of this issue. The Smarteyes—the need to constantly daydream and the fulfillment thereof—are a symptom, and I want to know the cause. Rossi doesn’t dwell on that. Maybe she expands the sci-fi and psychological elements further in the rest of the trilogy (which I do plan to read at some point), but I would have appreciated a more solid first book.

 

THE YOUNG ELITES by Marie Lu

Rating: Three stars—Good

 

I like this story, and I don’t like it (which is my typical reaction to anything by Marie Lu). On the one hand, I love Lu’s ability to create dark atmosphere and heightened tension; but on the other hand, I always find her character dynamics a little lacking. At first I was a bit iffy about the premise, the idea that a mysterious plague has given some of its victims strange (and random) powers, like the ability to control wind, the ability to create illusions, and the ability to affect emotions. But I liked that is was supposed to be a villain’s origins story, so I finally took the plunge.

In some ways, Adelina (our main character) did not disappoint me. She is selfish, sadistic, and warped. Her father’s cruelty haunts her, and her sister’s goodness burns her. Unfortunately, I feel that Marie Lu spent more time telling us (through Adelina) that Adelina is all these things, rather than just showing us through actions. I also got a little (translation=a lot) skittish about Adelina’s crush on Enzo, because let’s face it, she knows that he’s an equally sadistic jerk. He mistreats her and she still gets the hots for him. Umm… Granted, I know she’s messed up and all, but really?

The ending though—the ending won me over. I may feel dubious about the plausibility of many Marie Lu plot points, and I may cringe a little at some of the characterizations and relationships and whatnot, but let it never be said I don’t appreciate the emotion Lu is able to convey so well. There is that.

 

THE SHIFTER by Janice Hardy

Rating: Four Stars—Great

 

Right from the start, I fell in love with this book. It has that perfect blend of quirky narrative and intriguing premise that I tend to crave. Maybe the concept isn’t wholly original, but I’ve never seen anything like it before. Unlike the Healers in the league who remove pain from people’s bodies and transfer it to enchanted Pynvium, Nya can shift pain into other people, a talent that makes her a valuable commodity to those with unsavory intentions. When her sister, Tali, goes missing, Nya must determine what morals she is willing to cast aside in order to get her back.

I love the dynamic here, the way Nya wants to be a good person and not hurt people and all that fun stuff, and the way she justifies her compromises throughout the narrative. I also like how often she remembers her Grannyma’s rather interesting words of advice. Her personality and her backstory feel real and full, yet the author doesn’t spend a long time giving us a huge info dump on the subject.

Also, the world-building is great. From the Healer’s League to the docks, we get to see the contrast between the upper class and the lower class, the ones who can afford healing whatever the cost, and the ones who struggle each day just to find a job so they can eat. I think the setting might have some Egyptian influences, but don’t quote me on that.

Ultimately, I’m glad Janice Hardy didn’t feel the need to send her characters on a quest in order for her story to be a “proper fantasy”, but I do think she could have made life a little more difficult for her darlings. What am I saying, though? I’m just sore that the story ended so quickly, because I WANT MORE. And I want Nya and Danello to become a thing. Aasdfjlksdfk. That is all.

Well, that’s it for today, my little coffee beans. What are your thoughts on these books? Have you read any of them? Do you know if the sequels to UNDER THE NEVER SKY are any good?